Infusion treatment is a common medical practice for delivering a medicament to a patient. Infusion treatment typically entails delivering a fluid infusate to a patient with an infusion device, most commonly an infusion pump. The infusate is typically provided by an infusion set having an infusate source, an infusate tube extending from the infusate source and a slide clamp adapted to receive the infusate tube. The slide clamp, which assists with infusate flow regulation, and the infusate tube when connected to the infusion pump place the infusate in fluid communication with the infusion pump.
Delivery of the infusate to the patient typically involves the physical and/or mechanical manipulation of the infusate tube by the infusion pump. Conventional infusion pumps customarily include parameters that may be adjusted in order to adapt to specific infusion set administration protocols delivery requirements. The parameters may include settings to accommodate the composition of the infusate, the physical and/or material properties of the infusate tube and the flow rate for effective infusate delivery, for example. The parameters may also include settings to accommodate the use of a special set compatible with a specific infusate, or to accommodate the use of a special set including a specific set component such as a particular valve or sensor.
A need therefore exists to reduce the risk of inaccurate and dangerous delivery of an infusate to a patient. A need further exists for an automated infusion set that is custom designed for the infusion delivery system thereby ensuring the proper delivery of the infusate by the infusion pump. A need further exists for a convenient, automated infusion system that permits patient self-administration of infusion treatment either at a health care facility or in the home.
Infusion sets are typically used in both intravenous and subcutaneous medication administration protocols.
Subcutaneous injection is a standard method for the delivery of medication into a patient's body. To facilitate frequent or continuous subcutaneous injection of medication, subcutaneous injection ports are often used. Such injection ports extend through the skin and may remain in place for several days. Currently, a major application of such injection ports is to provide continuous delivery of medication, such as insulin, from portable pumps carried with the patient. When used with a portable pump, the injection port is typically connected to the pump via a fluid line. Another application of subcutaneous injection ports is to permit multiple injections of medication into a patient without the need to re-puncture the patient's skin. In this application, medication is injected from a standard medical implement, such as a syringe, through a soft elastomer septum into the injection port which delivers the medication subcutaneously.
There remains a need for an improved infusion set that is less bulky, less susceptible to contamination, less susceptible to flow fluctuation and siphoning effects, more comfortable to a user, and easier to use.